If you are a loyal fan of martial arts, then you love the moment of awarding the belts to the winners. But how much is a UFC belt worth? Well, UFC reserves these precious pieces for each winner at the end of a tournament.
Nonetheless, these valuable belts contain gold and a combination of precious stones. For this reason, many people don’t know their exact value. So if you are curious about these belts, here’s how much they cost.
You will also know their weight, designs, and if fighters keep them for good. So without further ado, let’s dive in. But first, you need to get a deeper understanding of what the UFC belt is all about. So let’s take a look.
What is a UFC Belt?
The UFC belt is a valuable piece given to winners of a tournament. The main aim of the belt is to appreciate their hard work. They will use the belts during the duration of their professional MMA career. The belt is full of precious materials, which makes it cost more. Additionally, the winner needs to keep the UFC belt safe since they’ll boast it as days goes by.
Are UFC Belts Made From Real Gold?
Are UFC belts real gold? Well, these belts are known to cost a lot of money. And, of course, they are made out of precious gold. Of course, the belts are of high quality and have different designs, but all the same, they contain the same pattern.
Despite all these, they contain real gold combined with leather. As much as gold is expensive, the belts require more of this.
For this reason, this raises the question, what are they made of? Let’s find out below.
What are UFC Belts Made of?
What are UFC belts made of? Well, this is a question that most martial arts fans ask themselves. Truly, these belts contain a combination of gold and leather. Today, they upgraded the belt since it comes with precious metal for decorations.
Apart from this, the UFC also sells gold-plated replica belts to the public. However, they come at a slightly lower price compared to the original belts. As a result, UFC mainly sells to die-hard fans.
How Much is a UFC Belt Worth?
So, how much is a UFC belt worth? A genuine UFC championship belt is worth around $330,000. One unique aspect about it is that the value increases according to the number of title defenses.
That is what the champion has (precious stones for each defense) and who the winner is. As mentioned earlier, UFC sells fancy replicas for around $1000, but the real UFC belt is worth more.
How Much Does a UFC Belt Weigh?
How much does a UFC belt weigh? If you are shocked about the price of a UFC belt, then you need to know the weight. Generally, every belt weighs differently. But why is this so? First, the old classic UFC belts weighed around 5.5 lbs (3 kgs) each and were similar.
On the contrary, things have changed. Today, there’s an upgraded version, and since they are decorated and have far more add-ons, they weigh more. Typically, every belt weighs 10.45 lbs (5kgs), but the weight changes a bit with every title defense.
Now leave alone the weight; there’s more to these belts—so don’t stop. Check out the UFC belts explained. You will get to understand everything about these valuable pieces.
UFC Belts Explained
The UFC championship belts represent a new start for UFC. The belts have been around for 25 years. Furthermore, they come in different types following the period—for instance, the UFC Championship Belt from 2001 to 2018.
In 2019 the new belt, UFC Legacy Championship Belt, was introduced and first awarded to Cejudo vs. Dillashaw in Brooklyn. UFC Have uniquely customized this belt for each champion by the athlete’s country, weight class, and several title defenses.
Winners will use the belt during the duration of their professional MMA career. Next championship wins in their respective division will be represented by red stones on the side plates of the belt. Athletes who win titles across multiple weight classes will get one belt per division.
This UFC legacy belt measures 50 inches (127 centimeters) in length and 12 inches (31 centimeters) in height. Nonetheless and weighs 10.5 lbs (5 kg). The center plate has a flag icon representing the eight countries that first won the UFC championship. These countries are; the USA, Canada, Brazil, Netherlands, Poland, Belarus, UK, and Ireland.
The UFC title belt also has stones. Twenty-five of them represent 25 years of UFC. Rubies and White Cubic Zirconias are the stones used. The Roman numerals represent 1993; UFC’s. When you look at the logo, you will see a high-polished gold at the center. Under the league, there is a pattern with octagons and squares.
The octagon has 25 lines to represent 25 years, and the square has eight lines to represent the eight sides of the UFC Octagon. On to the left plate, it is a must for every fighter. It contains their name and weight class. Also, the native country will appear with a flag icon.
Eight stones border the plate, and for each win, they will replace with a red stone. In addition, they will engrave will the date and location of the win. To finish is the right plate. Here, the gold UFC World Champion logo stays in the middle. Eight stones border the plate, and if a champion has more than eight wins, red stones will continue to represent wins on the right plate.
UFC Belt Designs
If you’ve seen the UFC belts, they are not the same. Yes, these belts come in different designs. For more details, check a brief description of all UFC belt designs.
When the UFC came to be, there were different belts, and they had a specific design. As time went by, the belts got revamped. From the look of things, these belts had different designs from the old ones.
For instance, from 2001 to 2088, the belt was covered with gold and resembled the look of wrestling belts – WWE. When a fighter wins, they get a new belt every time they defend it.
But, in 2019, they brought a new Legacy belt with a different design. The two plates on the sides had eight slots for small white precious stones. For this reason, UFC replaced the stones for every title defense.
The Main Differences Between The Old and New UFC Legacy Belt
Now that you can differentiate between all UFC belts, here are the distinctions between the old and new UFC Legacy belts.
The UFC legacy belt is only given once to a winning fighter. So compared to the old belt, they would get an entirely new belt every time there was a winner. With the latest version, the fighter gets one belt, highlighting the respective wins with red stones.
The new legacy belt has different features and designs than the old ones. When you look closely, you will see 25 stones surrounding the logo. These stones symbolized the 25th anniversary when the UFC began.
Furthermore, there’s a flag in between the stones, representing the first eight countries to win the UFC championships. When the fighter wins a tournament, they replace one stone with a red one.
How Much Does a UFC Belt Cost?
Determining the price of a genuine UFC belt is hard. if you want the belt from a UFC, you can get a fancy replica for around $1000, but real ones come at special auctions if the (former) champion is willing to sell it.
Additionally, the belt is made of leather, but each has around two pounds of precious metal, so the price rises. Although the materials are worth more, the story behind the belt gets the price way up. If it’s an original belt, the price will be much smaller than a belt once held by a real UFC champ.
The UFC Belt Makers
Who makes UFC belts? Before the UFC Legacy belt Came out, the standard gold-plated UFC championship belt was designed and made by Dave Millican Belts. They revamped the new design used today.
The UFC took part in the design and manufacturing process. However, two most essential counterparts participated in this process to get into details. Brad Flaherty designed the UFC Legacy belt, while Jae El Manufacturing company took part in making the belts.
Compared to the old belt, the new design has a unique look. In addition, each winner gets a personalized belt with their country’s flag. Also, the precious stones highlight the title defenses.
Do UFC Fighters Keep Their Belts?
Yes. Every UFC champion gets to keep their belt after winning a title. However, since the introduction of the UFC Legacy belt, winners don’t receive a new belt for each defense. Instead, they add a precious stone to one of the plates. The only instance when one gets a new belt is when they become a champion or lose a title and regain it.
What if they retire? In boxing, the fighter who quits will keep the belt, and the committee will organize a fight between the following two contenders to recognize the new champion. A new belt will be for the new winner.
UFC Legacy Championship Replica Belts
Apart from the UFC real belts, today, you can carry UFC championship replica belts. These belts have elements that are a tribute to the history of UFC. Here, the 25 stones surround the center plate to represent the 25 years of UFC, eight country flags honor the first eight countries to have a champion, and Roman numerals represent UFC’s inaugural year, 1993.
If you are a UFC fan, get one since there are many UFC replica belts for sale. Indeed, you will portray loyalty and trust to UFC. Nonetheless, storing it is easy since it comes with a cloth carrying case. This also means that it will be minimal wear and tear.
The main difference between this one and the actual belt is that it contains zinc alloy casts with 24k gold and silver plating, synthetic acrylic stones, leather, and brass snaps with gold plate snap covers. It measures 50 inches (127 centimeters) long, 11.5 inches (29 centimeters) wide, and weighs 8 lbs (4 kgs).
Final Verdict
The UFC belt is a critical piece to boxing and MMA fighters. On the contrary, it has undergone many changes, from pure gold to a combination of precious stones and leather.
Indeed, this increases its worth. However, today winners get an added red stone when they win. Also, there are belts for fans to own. If you are loyal fun, you can purchase a UFC belt replica at a reduced price.